On Friday, October 14th, 2011, at about 0514 hrs., the Waterloo Police Department and Waterloo Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a personal injury motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Hess Road and East Shaulis Road. The initial report was that there were two vehicles involved, and one vehicle was on fire.

Upon arrival, responders found that one vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The driver of that vehicle, Melissa Moore, of Tama, was still in the vehicle when emergency personnel arrived. She was able to get free from the vehicle, and the fire was extinguished by members of Waterloo Fire & Rescue.

Michael Reicks, age 19 of New Hampton, was uninjured in the accident and was the driver of the second vehicle. Reicks was subsequently arrested and charged with Operating While Intoxicated. He was also cited for No Insurance-Accident Related, Open Container and Stop Sign Violation.

Through the investigation of the accident, it was determined that Reicks was traveling northbound on Hess Road, ran the stop sign, and collided with Moore's vehicle which was traveling eastbound on East Shaulis Road. The sheer impact of the crash caused Moore's vehicle to burst into flames immediately upon impact. Both vehicles came to rest on the property of Lost Island Water Park.

Moore was initially transported to Covenant Medical Center, and then transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment of what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries.